Stan Collymore and Ian Wright ignite race row

The former England internationals spark a race rant on social media

Written by Monifa Bobb-Simon
12/06/2018 07:23 AM

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DIFFERENT OPINIONS: Stan Collymore and Ian Wright

FORMER ENGLAND players, Stan Collymore and Ian Wright engaged in a heated exchange of words in a public row on Twitter. The spat concerning race was sparked over Collymore’s recent interview with The Guardian, which criticized a handful of ex-football players.

He told the national publication: “To be a black pundit you either need to be a comedian like Chris Kamara or Ian Wright – guys who have big pearly-white smiles and everyone loves laughing at – or Jermaine Jenas and Alex Scott, who are completely inoffensive."

The comments prompted a response from Wright who uploaded a statement to the social media platform.

The post, which tagged the other individuals Collymore mentioned, read: “Representation matters. Opportunities matter. I feel sorry for you but you have to let the chip on your shoulder go and take some responsibility for why broadcasters and brands won’t be associated with you.

“Everyone should have the opportunity to fight for their case but the fact that you have to do it at the expense of others speaks more about you than all of us.”

Said it’s because he’s controversial why he can’t get employed in England. Basically anyone black doing punditry is token. ????